I'm not coming back
by delladooo
Summary: When Harvey ignores him, Mike quits and decides that this time there is no going back but Harvey isn't just going to let him leave just like that. I suppose it it could be slash if you squint hard enough - and I mean seriously hard.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: So, I've spent quite a lot of time reading fanfiction but I've never actually written anything, especially with me definitely not being an English student but I had this idea what decided it was being written and it's turned out rather different than I originally planned. There's no definite time for this, only they can't have been working together for over a year. Whether they're together or not is open to your interpretation and any feedback is much welcomed... Anyway, I'll shut up now.**

Mike was sat on his sofa, bottle of cheap beer in his hand and some documentary playing on the TV that he wasn't really watching but didn't have the motivation to turn over, when there was an obnoxious hammering on his door. Only one person he knew could bang on a door with such self-proclaimed authority and he sure as hell didn't want to see him so he turned the TV up louder in an attempt to drown out the incessant banging and reached down to grab another bottle.

"Mike if you don't open the door I'm going to fire you!" Harvey's usual threat could still be heard over the television.

Mike scoffed and turned it down slightly to shout back at him, "You realise it's impossible to fire someone who doesn't work for you right?" Without waiting for what he was sure would be a snarky reply, Mike got up and, after increasing the volume of the TV enough to ensure he wouldn't hear a reply, headed over his kitchen to find something semi-edible to eat. He spend the next ten minutes trying to scrape the mould off some slightly stale bread in order to make some semblance of a sandwich and decided that since he hadn't heard anything from Harvey in the last seven of those minutes (no, he wasn't counting), he thought it safe to turn the television back to a reasonable level and wile away his evening in peace, vaguely wishing he had kept some pot so he could get high.

It wasn't long after Mike had finished his sandwich and opened his fifth beer of the night that his front door clicked open causing him to leap up to defend his home from whoever was trying to rob him. When instead he whirled around to see Harvey walking into his apartment holding a key up and Donna stood slightly behind him with a scowl on her face, he had no idea what to do. He was still stood gaping at them as Donna took the key off Harvey and bid them farewell before leaving them to their argument, knowing she'd see them both at work tomorrow and would be expecting a pretty big apology for ruining her night with their predictable crap.

Surprisingly, it was Mike that broke the silence between them, resigned to the fact that this was going to happen he sighed, "I suppose you're here for the files I forgot to bring this morning, give me a second," he quickly scuttled around grabbing the couple of files and handed them over, fully expecting Harvey to leave.

"Actually I was here to tell you to stop being an idiot and give you the files you were _supposed_ to do for me today," he set the files that Mike had just handed to him on the coffee table and added a few more on top of them.

"I quit Harvey. Go home."

"No, you don't get to just quit because you can't have everything your own way. The world doesn't work like that."

"My own way? Are you being serious right now? Harvey, I quit because I requested one day off, just _one_ and I don't get anything from you, not even an acknowledgement!" Not allowing Harvey time to interrupt, Mike just glared at him and continued his rant, "I quit because I can't put up with your shit anymore! This on again, off again roller coaster you have me on is killing me and I want off it, now!" Mike huffed in exasperation and decided he was done for the night, "I quit the firm and I quit your crap and now you're going to leave so I can go to bed. Good_bye_ Harvey."

The finality in Mike's tone secretly shook the older man slightly but Harvey just put a bored look on his face and sat on the edge of the sofa, waiting for Mike to give an actual explanation for his storming out of the office not fifteen minutes after Harvey had first walked in. When nothing was forthcoming Harvey looked up at him and raised an eyebrow expectantly. Mike proceeded to huff again before locking his front door and going into his bedroom, fully intending on their conversation being over whilst the other of them had other ideas and dragged himself up and after him, "Mike, what's so important about having a Wednesday off? It's the middle of the week, and not just any week but the week of the biggest trial this city is going to have seen in the past nine years!"

Not able to look at him, Mike started tugging off his t-shirt and turned around, leaving an exasperated Harvey to stare at his back, "It's no longer any of your concern, tell Donna I'm sorry you ruined her night." With that he grabbed some sweats off the floor and went into the bathroom, firmly shutting the door to make sure Harvey didn't even think about following him.

A few minutes later Mike came out, having brushed his teeth and changed out of his jeans, to find Harvey had rummaged in his wardrobe to find a hanger which now kept his suit jacket hanging from the door along with his tie and his shoes in the corner whilst the man himself was sitting on his bed looking for all the world like he belonged there. After suppressing a groan, Mike sprawled out on the other side of it and turned out the light to go to sleep.

"Mike," Harvey spoke again, slowly realising that this could actually be the end of them, "You can have the day, damn take the week if it's that important! Just tell me what's going on."

Although Mike's reply was muffled by his pillow, the pleading note in it could still be heard, "No, you'd think it stupid anyway. Just leave me alone, please?"

"Not until you tell me. I have all night you know."

This time, he couldn't hold back his groan and got up, going over to his window to put as much distance between them as possible and reluctantly mumbled, "Their anniversary..."

"Mike, speak clearer, I can't understand a word you're saying." Harvey had turned around where he sat so he could look at Mike.

In reply, the younger man just spun on his heel and was suddenly screaming at the other man, "They died Harvey! They died and it was my fault! Now leave!" Although shocked, Harvey kept a neutral expression on his face and just waited for Mike to continue, and after sighing brokenly he did, "It was their anniversary and they wanted to go for a meal but what seven year old wants to sit through a boring meal on their," he couldn't help but wince at the next word, "birthday? So they let me have a party at one of those huge activity centres. They came for a bit but then left me with Grammy so they could still go out. If I hadn't been so selfish they wouldn't have been there, they wouldn't have..." he was starting to choke up and had to turn back to the window but still went on, not caring whether Harvey was even listening, a dam had burst in him and he couldn't stop now, "I was selfish and now they're not here!"

Harvey startled both of them by silently getting up, he slowly went over to the other man and pulled him into a hug before he softly asked, "What happened to them?"

"Hit and run. Some teenager had gotten drunk and thought it a good idea to steal his parent's car, he hit them just as they were leaving, they only caught him because he crashed it around the corner."

Harvey squeezed his shoulder and led him over to the bed, "Get some sleep Mike, I'll see you a week on Monday." The other just looked at him, confused, "When you get back to work."

Mike smiled sadly and managed to lead him through the apartment to the front door which he opened and gently pushed Harvey out of, "Harvey, I'm not coming back." The door was closed and locked before Harvey had even finished processing the words.

**A/N: So, I hope you didn't think it was too terrible, thanks for reading and let me know what you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: After posting what was meant to be a one-shot, I thought I'd extend it with this so let me know if this follows from the first bit or not, because right now I really have no idea if any of this makes sense. I apologise profusely if this is miles off the mark and I actually have no knowledge of anywhere in America so I'm just making up all information that I provide with a little help from Google. Anyway thanks for reading**

Donna had been in the office for over an hour and still hadn't seen Mike, she thought he'd have found her first thing to look sheepish and scuttle into Harvey's office to deposit a large stack of files. Although not worried - she had seen the stack of files and presumed that Mike hadn't yet finished them - she was perturbed that Mike hadn't even been seen around the office yet, Louis had skulked over a few minutes ago demanding to know what was so important to Harvey that his associate hadn't been seen since yesterday and despite blowing him off, she was starting to hope that Harvey would be in soon to clear it all up and tell her that her worries were groundless.

When Harvey did finally arrive, she didn't know what to think; to most people he would have looked the same as always, but she saw the slight frown and the faint bags under his eyes which said it had been a long night. He silently collected his messages off her and went into his office, closing his door and drawing the blinds.

"Harvey, you have an appointment in ten minutes, conference room four."

"Since when do we have any appointments before eleven? Where's Mike with my files?" He grumbled and started pulling some paperwork out of one of his drawers. He knew that he'd said Mike could have some time off but he'd still been expecting him in work today, despite what he'd said.

"Everyone else has appointments from nine Harvey, stop complaining. But I don't know where Mike is, haven't seen him." Harvey just huffed and grabbed the files needed for his meeting before heading off, barely sparing a glance at Donna who was sat watching him.

Harvey's day wasn't set for improvement either, his new client had been skimming from her own company and expected him to magically be able to fix her problems, and by lunch he still hadn't seen or heard from Mike. He'd asked Donna to try calling him a few times but it didn't even ring before it went to voicemail.

Half way through his afternoon, Harvey had had enough and got Mike's key off Donna, determined to drag him back to work or at the very least get his, hopefully proofed, files back. He got in the car and spent the ride silently staring out of the window, silently seething that he'd had to use some blithering idiot of an associate all morning that took far too long to do anything.

When he arrived he stormed up the stairs to Mike's apartment and started bashing on the door, "Mike, open the door! I need those files and you need to get your ass back to work!" After a good ten minutes of making a spectacle of himself with no reply, Harvey decided that enough was enough and opened the door, going inside before anyone ventured out of the neighbouring apartments. He did a quick sweep of the small place and concluded that neither Mike, nor his files, were anywhere about. With a huff he called Donna for her opinion on where she thought he may have gone, her only suggestion being his grandmother's home.

Harvey was off again, back in the car on his way to track Mike down. His thoughts getting darker the longer it took them to move through New York traffic. As soon as he arrived, he spotted Mike's bike chained up outside and marched into the building and demanded to know where Mrs Ross' room was located. After a few minutes of the nurses trying to stop him bothering one of their patents without having given them a valid reason, he stalked off to search for himself, to which one of the more senior staff members grudgingly led him to her room. Putting on his politest smile for her, he knocked and entered the room.

"Mike, let's go, you're supposed... Oh, Mrs Ross, my name's Harvey Specter and I'm looking for your grandson. I was hoping you would be able to tell me where he is today?" Harvey backpedalled when he realised that Mike wasn't in there. He tried to keep his tone as respectful as possible but was getting increasing agitated that he seemed so close but couldn't see any end in sight.

"I know exactly who you are, thank you Mr Specter, and I can tell you that you have absolutely no reason to come barging in here wanting anything. Although I do have something for you." She pointed to the small table by the door which had Harvey's files neatly stacked on it and a highlighter next to them. "Michael finished those this morning and expected that you'd make it here at some point."

Harvey just looked between the files and the elderly woman sat near the window before going and sitting opposite her, "Mrs Ross, where is he?"

"Well you see Mr Specter, Michael's not in New York anymore. We lived in Boston until his parents died and he still has other family out there. Seeing as he's now out of a job, Mike's decided to go see them early."

Harvey sat stunned by the news, not only had Mike quit with no warning, he'd up and moved over two hundred miles away without so much as a heads up. "What time does his plane leave?"

Mrs Ross watched him carefully, "He's driving Mr Specter, decided it would be an easier way to avoid you I presume."

"Mike doesn't have a car. He can't even drive." He couldn't help but sound slightly disbelieving at what he was hearing.

"He's quite a good driver actually and he's hired a car indefinitely. Please Mr Specter, you have your files and my grandson's out of your firm, leave him be."

Harvey got up, his usual mask back in place as he buttoned his suit jacket and shook her hand, "I need to finish up some business with him, please have him call me as soon as he's back in town." He nodded to her slightly and left, grabbing his files on the way.

When he got back to the office, he ordered Donna to discretely make Mike's cubical look as close to how it usually did as possible and locate his personnel card before making the system, and thus the rest of the firm, believe he was off work for the next two weeks, and what a long two weeks they were about to be.

**A/N: So I decided not to write Mike into this one, I have no idea where this is going but I hope that you're willing to stick with it long enough for me to find out. Please review with any criticism or whatever and let me know if you have any ideas for this, any help would be appreciated **


	3. Chapter 3

**_A/N: This chapter's shorter than the other two but I didn't want to drag this one on too much, two chapters without Mike is enough. And there's just one chapter left after this_**

Harvey had been right about it being a long two weeks, especially when he still hadn't heard from Mike and had no idea when he was coming back, or even if he was. Harvey had tried ringing him from both the office and his phone and had even made Donna try from her own more than once. She was now fed up of him moping - something he kept vehemently denied doing whenever it was so much as hinted at - she'd resorted to talking to Jessica about somehow trying to offer him something to improve his mood but she'd turned her down, not knowing that Mike had actually quit; Donna not able to tell her without jeopardising any chance of him returning.

"Harvey, according to the system, Mike's meant to be back on Monday..." Donna's voice came cautiously through the intercom, not wanting to irritate her boss more than he already was, "What do you want me to do?"

"I don't know Donna, have you called him today?" he sighed and went to put on a record.

Donna hadn't rung him that day so, with a huff, she grabbed the office phone and settled herself in to hear the usual voicemail message, or if she was really lucky, the sound of it ringing until it cut out. What she didn't expect was for it to be picked up, or Mike to sound so much better than she was expecting him to be.

"Afternoon Donna, what can I do for you?"

"Oh! Mike! Err, hi, how are you?" she desperately started tapping at the intercom Harvey's attention, irritating him further in the process, whilst she half listened to Mike's reply, "Yeah, Mike, it's really great to hear from you and we definitely need to catch up soon but Harvey wants to talk to you, I'll put you through now."

"Wait! Donna no..." Mike tried to stop her but she'd already transferred him to Harvey's office, just keeping her line open to hear him without her partaking in the conversation

"Mike, how was Boston?" Harvey skipped the pleasantries of the call and got straight to the point while he kept his voice as level as possible, not knowing quite how to feel about the call yet and having no idea what Mike was thinking at all.

"You know about Boston?"

"Of course I do, how did it go?"

"That doesn't concern you, why are you calling?" Mike's tone said he was definitely bored of their conversation already and they hadn't even had one yet.

"Donna needs to know when you're back, for how long to mark your time off as being," he explained whilst he could see the aforementioned woman glaring at him through the glass, although she still didn't know what they'd originally argued over she sure as hell wasn't going to be the scapegoat that meant Harvey didn't have to own his mistakes.

"Donna could have just asked me that herself. We've had this discussion, Harvey, I no longer work for Pearson Harden so it doesn't matter what you put on the system because I shouldn't _be_ in the system anymore. If you know about Boston, I take it you got your files?"

"Yes, thanks for doing them, but you are coming back _Michael_..."

"Do not call me that!" Harvey was instantly cut off, "I told you I'm not coming back and that's the end of it."

"Mike, you better be in this damn office in the morning or..." He then faltered, what could be possibly say, he couldn't threaten him - he had nothing to threaten him with - but he certainly wasn't going to let him know that he actually missed the younger man.

"Or what Harvey? You'll fire me? Little late for that don't you think?"

"No," Harvey sighed, "Are you going to be home tonight?"

"To see you? No." There was that finality in his voice again.

"Damn it Mike I'm not going to beg! Are you home or not?"

"Harvey you couldn't beg to save your life." The younger man huffed but conceded, " I'll be in at eight, bring pizza, none of that fancy crap you usually put on it either." Mike hung up without waiting for a response.

"Donna, I need some boring pizza delivered at eight and no disturbances, oh and some good beer, I'm not drinking any of the crap he has."

Harvey went back to work feeling considerably better than he had for the past fortnight. Meanwhile, Donna ordered pizza and beer to be delivered and then set about rearranging his schedule for that evening and the day after in order to try and accommodate all possible outcomes of his night.

Harvey made it to Mike's apartment with ten minutes to spare but, much to his frustration, he couldn't make himself knock on the door. He was still stood there at exactly eight when the delivery guy arrived and ended up stood slightly behind him as he knocked and waited for Mike to answer his door.

**A/N: I hope you enjoyed this chapter, I know not much happened but I felt I still needed the chapter.. As always, please review, any criticism is welcome and it'll encourage me to keep going with this story because I do have a habit of giving up occassionally *guilty face* Oh and this slightly OOC for Harvey but I think that after two weeks of not knowing where you stand with someone can do that to you, especially when you spend all your time refusing to consciously show emotion. **


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Wow, so this is the end, I don't think I like somewhere in the middle of it but it's staying as it is - for now at least - because I just want to have a completed story up! I actually quite like most of it too! Anyway shutting up now...**

Mike trudged to the door, resigned to the fact that Harvey would just keep bothering him until the younger man finally caved and had a proper conversation with him. That wasn't to say that Mike was looking forward to it though, he had decided that he couldn't go back to Pearson Hardman and wasn't looking forward to having that discussion with Harvey again. Honestly, he wondered why that man couldn't just take no for an answer. Opening the door he was faced with a balding, middle-aged man with a large pizza box in his hand and a crate of beer in the other with a rather subdued Harvey behind him. He took the pizza and beer, turned and went back into his apartment, leaving the two men at the door as he set the pizza down on the coffee table and settled onto the sofa. Harvey took this as his cue that he was allowed in and gave the delivery guy a tip before shutting the door and joining him on the sofa, each of them grabbing a beer and slice of pizza silently.

"So, we need to talk about when you're coming back to work." Harvey finally took the plunge and started the conversation after deciding that he **was** going to get Mike back to work - he was the best closer in New York, he could definitely convince one employee back to work.

"How many times do I have to tell you before it sinks in? I'm not coming back. Besides, I couldn't even if I wanted to, I'm going back to college." So what wasn't entirely true, Mike was looking into seeing if anywhere would take him but he hadn't actually applied to any colleges yet.

"Oh." Harvey had no idea what to say to that, "Going to get that law degree from Harvard so you can really come work for me?"

"I'm not coming back to the firm Harvey. But no, I'm not going to Harvard, I'm not even going to law school, I don't know where I'm going yet."

The two of them went back to eating in an awkward silence, the reality dawning on Harvey that this time, he might not get to win. When they had finished eating, the atmosphere of the room could be cut through with a knife. Harvey downed the second half of his latest beer and took a deep breath before turning to Mike and decided that he'd have to just blurt out what he wanted to say without thinking about it too much, knowing he'd back out if he did.

"Mike, you have to come back to work. The firm needs you. Donna needs you." They just looked at each other, the younger man's eyebrows raised at the absurdity of that last statement and waiting to see if Harvey was actually going to say what he thought he was going to, apparently he was because Harvey huffed and reluctantly added "_I_ need you."

Mike just sat staring at him, unable to believe his own ears that Harvey Specter had just admitted to needing anyone beyond Donna, but he didn't have too long to think about it because Harvey was still talking and damn, if he didn't just keep talking once he started.

"Now can you please just come back to work?" - was that a _please_ Mike thought he heard? - "You're a good worker and a decent enough attorney," - wow, Mike supposed he should quit more often - "I want you to be my associate because you're good and I want you to be more than just good, I want you to be great, the best because... I care, okay."

Mike was sat with his mouth hanging open whilst Harvey grabbed another beer, suddenly deciding that a new associate would be better than having to have either of them remember any of that, but of course Mike's eidetic memory meant he couldn't forget any of it. Just Harvey's luck, verbal diarrhoea around someone who can't forget.

Mike uttered a few incoherent noises before being able to articulate his thoughts, "Wow," what else was there to say, "Just, wow. Harvey I've never heard you say so many positive things at once." He chuckled whilst the other man just looked at him stone faced, determined not to embarrass himself anymore. "But that doesn't mean I can come back. I'm not actually a lawyer and when everyone finds out we'll both be fired and you don't do emotions and, and..." Mike trailed off, having no more valid excuses after Harvey's confession of caring but it still didn't mean he could go back.

Noticing Mike had finally run himself into the ground, Harvey decided that he was going to use all his skills as the best closer in New York, "What makes you think I'd be fired? I'm claiming no knowledge of this what so ever, but **if** anyone were to find out that you aren't a real lawyer, it won't matter because by then you'll be a great attorney sat in an office while a group of Harvard drones work for you and Louis will be lower in the food chain. You'll have nothing to worry about, but you have to come back to work and earn it first."

"Harvey, I can..."

"Stop saying that." Harvey cut him off sternly, "I'm offering you a way back in. Right here, right now. No one even knows why you've not been in. If you don't want to come back then say so. Stop with the 'I can't' crap."

"Fine. Harvey, I don't want to work all hours of the day and night for you when you don't value what I do." Harvey's face had dropped and he realised Mike really couldn't do it anymore, "I want a little bit of recognition every once in a while, I want you to notice that I want to do well, for you, because I don't want to let you down and I feel like that's all you ever see me as doing."

"No, Mike I couldn't do what I do without you doing what you do, every time I win, you've won too. I know that, even if I don't say it. But we can work on it, just come back, it's been quiet without you."

"You mean you've had some other associate working for you and they've worked slower." The two of them started laughing as Harvey confirmed that fact. "Okay." The slightly hopeful, questioning look that Mike received made sure that he knew he'd have to say it, "I'll come back to work!"

Mike shook his head and chuckled as Harvey just clapped a hand on his shoulder, both of them able to breathe easier, "But, you have to find a way to stop Louis using me at every opportunity, his pony obsession is getting out of hand - and I can't work above him if I work for him."

"Deal."

Mike got them both more beer and put a film on, Harvey complaining within the first five minutes that it boring and that they should pick a different one. Ever one to get his own way, Mike went through five films before finally giving up and making Harvey go pick one. While Mike was watching, no doubt trying not to be bored at already knowing what happens in _Top Gun_ - predictable Harvey - the older man sent a text to Donna 'still the best closer in New York'.

**A/N: There you go, I hope you liked the endind. L****eave a review telling me what you thought maybe? Please?**


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